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Ellen Wilkinson

Ellen Wilkinson

Female 1843 - 1933  (89 years)

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  • Name Ellen Wilkinson  [1, 2, 3, 4] 
    Born 14 Nov 1843  Lock Haven, Clinton Cnty, PA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 5, 6, 7] 
    Gender Female 
    Died 28 Oct 1933  Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 5, 7, 8] 
    Buried 30 Oct 1933  Linwood Cem, Cedar Rapids, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 7, 8, 9] 
    Person ID I155  SnoufferCampbell
    Last Modified 16 Apr 2011 

    Father John Wilkinson,   b. 20 Mar 1809, New Castle, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 Nov 1896, Bennett, Cedar Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 87 years) 
    Mother Hannah David,   b. 12 Jan 1812, Centre Cnty, PA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 24 Sep 1892, Bennett, Cedar Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 80 years) 
    Married USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2] 
    Family ID F53  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family John Newens,   b. 17 Aug 1846, Tipton, Cedar Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Apr 1914, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 67 years) 
    Married 6 Sep 1874  Tipton, Cedar Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 5, 6, 7, 10] 
    Children 
     1. Hannah Celestia Newens,   b. 17 Aug 1879,   d. Mar 1970, Tiburon, Marin Cnty, CA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 90 years)
     2. Blanche Alice Newens,   b. 10 Sep 1882,   d. 1898  (Age 15 years)
     3. Bertha Ina Newens,   b. 30 Dec 1884, Tipton, Cedar Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Oct 1981, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 96 years)
    Last Modified 5 Dec 2009 12:43:00 
    Family ID F46  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Photos
    Ellen Wilkinson Newens    		Ellen Wilkinson Newens
    Abt 1909
    Ellen Wilkinson    		Ellen Wilkinson
    portrait by Van Cleave, Cedar Rapids, IA

  • Notes 
    • The 1870 census lists her parents' family: father John Wilkinson, 63, mother Hannah, 58, and siblings, all of whom were born in Pennsylvania: "Elen," 26, Thomas, 24, a farmer, Carpenter, 20, who had been a student during the year, and Clementine Blowers, 23. 1870 U.S. Census, Tipton P.O., Centre Twsp, Cedar Cnty, IA (M 593, Roll 380, written p. 24, stamped p. 148).

      The 1880 census shows Ellen, 37 years old, living with her husband John and 10 month old daughter Hanna. 1880 U.S. Census, Walnut, Layton Twsp, Pottawattamie Cnty, IA (T 9, Roll 361, p. 195).

      On 4 Mar 1946 Ellen's daughter Bertha (Newens) Snouffer wrote a letter to Bertha's granddaughter Barbara Nelson about homesteading days in Colorado:
      "It was Christmas 1909 ... when my [father's brother] Uncle Isaiah Newens came to Cedar Rapids to visit us. He had been living in Nome Alaska for many years.... Uncle Isaiah was my fathers brother, and another brother Uncle Dick [Richard Newens] and his wife came from southern Iowa, and a cousin [Charlie Newens] who was a son of another brother ["Uncle Ned" or Edward Newens] of theirs came from Chi[cago]..... Uncle Dick got all of us interested in going to Colorado to 'take up homestead land.' He told of land that the government was opening up to homesteaders. So Grandpa Newens, Aunt Lessie [Newens] (who was not married), Uncle Art [Snouffer] and your Grandpa Snouffer all decided they would go out [to Colorado] and investigate.
      "They left here [Cedar Rapids, IA] in Jan. 1910 and were quite enthused about the prospects, so with the help of a cousin (Uncle Dick's son) who was already located there they picked out the land they would like to have, and then they went to the Government Land Office in Sterling Colo and filed a claim for their land; each one had 160 acres. Then they came home and we prepared to move....
      "Grandpa Newens arranged for a [railroad] box car and in it all the furniture was packed on one side of the car, and on the other side was a buggy, a wagon, a team of horses, and Uncle Arts dog Fanny, and a crate with about 24 chickens....
      "*** Grandpa Snouffer was the carpenter, Great Grandpa Newens helped him, and Uncle Art made the trips back and forth to town for lumber, more of the household goods, groceries, etc.
      "Great Grandma Newens, Aunt Lessie, Your mother (who was my little baby not two years old yet) and I stayed here in Iowa for about two weeks, then we decided we would go also.***
      "*** [When a range fire threatened them] Grandpa Newens was wise enough to start a fire and burn a strip about 10 feet wide ... around our household goods ... then we went over to where the house was being built and new lumber piled near, and built a similar fire break. [In an earlier draft of the letter she then wrote: "Our house was soon finished.... Aunt Lessie's house was built next, then Uncle Art's and finally Great Grandpa & Grandma Newens house was finished. *** We lived on the farm for three years, then proved up and got a government deed.... The land is still ours and has been farmed every year -- although we only lived there the three years. *** ]" (Most of the group returned to Cedar Rapids after the required three years.)

      Before she left for Colorado in mid-1910, however, Ellen had time to travel, with her daughter, to Iowa City, to attend a wedding. According to The Iowa City Citizen, p. 8 (18 Feb 1910):
      "In the presence of a large crowd of invited guests Harry Blowers and Miss Nellie Pfeiffer were united in marriage ... yesterday morning. *** The out of town guests were Mrs. Newens, Mrs. Snouffer, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Merrifield of Cedar Rapids and [others]."

      The 1910 Colorado census shows that the extended Newens family was living in Morgan County. Ellen was listed as living with her husband John Newens, a 63-yr old farmer. Nearby was her 25-yr old daughter Bertha I. Snouffer, living with her husband William D., a 26-yr old farmer and their 2-yr old daughter "Blanch N." [sic] Also living nearby were John and Ellen's daughter, 31-yr old Lessie Newens, and William Snouffer's brother Arthur. 1910 U.S.Census, Prec. 12, Snyder, Morgan Cnty, CO (T624, Roll 123, p. 294A).

      In 1930 Ellen, an 86-yr old widow, was living with her son-in-law William Snouffer, 45, her daughter Bertha, 45, and their two sons, Robert M, 18, and "William M," 16. 1930 U.S. Census, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA (T 626, Roll 665, ED 47, p. 2B).

      Obituary, Cedar Rapids [IA] Gazette (?) (28 Oct 1933):
      "Mrs. Ellen Newens died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. R.E. Shank, 814 Seventeenth street SW, at 6:45 a.m. Saturday at the age of 89 years, 11 months and 14 days. She was born in Lock Haven, Pa., Nov. 14, 1843, and moved with her parents to Tipton [IA] in 1867. On Sept. 6, 1874, she was united in marriage to John Newens. They moved to Cedar Rapids in 1897 where she since had resided with the exception of three years spent in Colorado. She united with the Methodist church when a young woman and at [the] time of her death was a member of the Trinity Methodist church of this city. She was in good health and took an interest in all civic and social affairs until a few weeks before her death.

      "Her husband preceded her in death nineteen years ago and a daughter, Blanche Alice, died at the age of 16. Besides Mrs. Shank she is survived by another daughter, Mrs. W.D. Snouffer, Cedar Rapids, and four grandchildren, Robert N. Snouffer and Nadine Shank, Cedar Rapids; Blanche Snouffer Nelson, Brooklyn, N.Y.; William N. Snouffer of West Point, N.Y., and one great-grandchild, Barbara Blanche Nelson, Brooklyn, N.Y...."

      Cedar Rapids [IA] Gazette (?) (30 Oct 1933):
      "Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. Monday for Mrs. Ellen Newens, 89, who died early Saturday.... Burial was in Linwood cemetery."

  • Sources 
    1. [S43] IA Census 1870, Cedar, Tipton, Iowa, Cedar Cnty, Centre Twsp, Tipton P.O., 1870 U.S. Census, (The National Archives, Washington, D.C.), (M593, Roll 380, p. 148).

    2. [S2] Bertha Newens|, Bertha Ina (Newens) Snouffer, "Newens & Snouffer Family Records", (Bertha Ina (Newens) Snouffer; unpublished charts; created abt 1960; revised abt 1970; original charts possessed by Wm.C.Snouffer).

    3. [S42] Jewell - Snouffers|, Carol Snouffer Jewell, "Snouffer, Schnauffer, Newens of Germany, IA, 1523-1997" (Nov 1999), (Family Tree Maker, "World Family Tree," CD-ROM database (vol. 54, tree 2400), Cambridge, MA; The Learning Company, Inc. : 2000).

    4. [S103] FindaGrave|, FindaGrave.com, (www.FindAGrave.com), 17096554.

    5. [S5] Cedar Rapids Gazette|, Cedar Rapids Gazette, (Cedar Rapids, IA), (28 Oct 1933).

    6. [S6] IA Census 1930, Cedar Rapids|, Iowa, Linn Cnty, Cedar Rapids, 1930 U.S. Census, (The National Archives, Washington, D.C.), (T626, Roll 665, ED 47, p. 2B).

    7. [S7] Cem - Linwood, Cedar Rapids, IA|, Genealogical Soc'y of Linn Cnty, IA, "Linn County, Iowa Cemeteries, Linwood, Cedar Rapids", (Genealogical Society of Linn Cnty, IA, PO Box 175, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406 : 2001), p. 87.

    8. [S5] Cedar Rapids Gazette|, Cedar Rapids Gazette, (Cedar Rapids, IA), (30 Oct 1933).

    9. [S103] FindaGrave|, FindaGrave.com, (www.FindAGrave.com), 21083264.

    10. [S5] Cedar Rapids Gazette|, Cedar Rapids Gazette, (Cedar Rapids, IA), (Apr 1914).